I recently opened a letter from a doctor to read the following brief statement. NOTES 01: – Your plan will not cover your $2,000 claim.
It was bad news – I was expecting to get a check that would reimburse me for some serious dental work that I did. It wasn’t even a letter. It reminded me more of a Monopoly Chance card: “Go straight to prison. Don’t give up. Don’t collect $200.”
The bad news spread so violently that it took my breath away. I bet they could at least write something like, “Dear Sandra, unfortunately, the terms of your plan don’t cover X, Y and J. Good luck next time.” All to soften the blow!
Announcing and receiving unpleasant news is something we all experience throughout our lives. However, there are worse and better ways to share unpleasant news, and good manners make the task a little easier for the recipients.
Understanding how to report bad news is especially important in these difficult post-crisis economic times. Whether there’s sad news about losing your job or just about a person in your office who thinks pranks are funny, it’s not, it’s wise to heed the following advice to have some fun. Parties that may not be welcome.
My five top tips for spreading bad news
Pro-to-Pro: Be professional and treat the other person like a pro. By that I mean using professional language regardless of whether bad news is delivered in person or by email.
Good and bad news: if there’s good news you can share, do it first. Or give a person a chance. “Is there good news and bad news that you prefer to hear first?” Another strategy is to minimize the bad by focusing on the good.
Sympathize and apologize: put yourself in the shoes of another person and imagine how you would feel if you got bad news. Do not show excessive emotions, but recognize the emotional reaction of the other person. And apologize for being the source of the bad news. This will not improve the news; it humanizes the situation.
I recently opened a letter from a doctor to read the following brief statement. NOTES 01: – Your plan will not cover your $2,000 claim.
It was bad news – I was expecting to get a check that would reimburse me for some serious dental work that I did. It wasn’t even a letter. It reminded me more of a Monopoly Chance card: “Go straight to prison. Don’t give up. Don’t collect $200.”
The bad news spread so violently that it took my breath away. I bet they could at least write something like, “Dear Sandra, unfortunately, the terms of your plan don’t cover X, Y and J. Good luck next time.” All to soften the blow!
Announcing and receiving unpleasant news is something we all experience throughout our lives. However, there are worse and better ways to share unpleasant news, and good manners make the task a little easier for the recipients.
Understanding how to report bad news is especially important in these difficult post-crisis economic times. Whether there’s sad news about losing your job or just about a person in your office who thinks pranks are funny, it’s not, it’s wise to heed the following advice to have some fun. Parties that may not be welcome.
My five top tips for spreading bad news
Pro-to-Pro: Be professional and treat the other person like a pro. By that I mean using professional language regardless of whether bad news is delivered in person or by email.
Good and bad news: if there’s good news you can share, do it first. Or give a person a chance. “Is there good news and bad news that you prefer to hear first?” Another strategy is to minimize the bad by focusing on the good.
Sympathize and apologize: put yourself in the shoes of another person and imagine how you would feel if you got bad news. Do not show excessive emotions, but recognize the emotional reaction of the other person. And apologize for being the source of the bad news. This will not improve the news; it humanizes the situation. …
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